Arriving at the resort was a little stressful. Sunwing bus driver unloaded our luggage at the Barcelona resort. My finance had to walk back to get our bags. Keep a close eye on your luggage.
The registration/check in at the Dreams was more work than it had to be. There is only 3 small desk as the front desk with just 3 clerks. But registration was actually around the corner at a long table with 2 clerks. This location was hidden from plain view so made procedure confusing. Then i had [... read more]to go back to the "3 desks"/front desk and stand in line to get word that room wasn't ready and was told to come back later for our keys. All this seemed so unprofessional for a resort chain with such high standards.
Once we got into our room it was lovely, and clean. We were situated in a wing that had not yet been renovation on the outside. ...cracked stucco. Didn't look of Dreams standards, but the rest was wonderful. Rooms, beach, and restaurants are all very clean, with friendly service. A la cartes were very good. Service, food presentation and food quality was of very high standards. The main buffet, World Cafe, was smaller than I expected and very loud and busy so we had every breakfast amd lunch at the Seaside cafe over looking the ocean. It was less busy and had no line up for the omlette station. Need a really good late night burger? Visit Seaside Cafe before 1030 pm. If it's closed order through room service. Fries are crispy!
There isn't enough palapas on the beach so everyone goes down at 630-730 am to put their towels on the loungers. We read that the pool attendant take them off aftr 30 mins but they don't. People still leave towels but don't show up for hours. If you have trouble finding chairs ask an attendant and they are more than happy to pull towels or move chairs for you. All good!
The resort is generally very quiet. We didn't see or hear the entertainment team hardly at all. Good and bad. We did like the lobby lounge entertainment every night. We also left the resort to visit the local bar across the street to watch an Oilers game. Overall we loved the location, hotel and beach! And will return. Hopefully the few deficiencies will be rectified.
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Private -
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Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Amazing Resort!
Service and Food exceptional!
Grounds amazing !
Beach beautiful but not great for swimming shallow and dirty.
Rooms a little dated Beds are comfy!!
No bugs anywhere!!!
Bonus!
Had a great time would recommend!
Suggestion would be to put more chairs around outside the Black and White Bar .
And other areas so people could sit outside at night and enjoy the night breeze.
Area for non smokers would be nice as well.
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Pharmmom -
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Samba Vallarta: Lovely family holiday
We really enjoyed our stay here, it was the perfect size resort to go to with children 6 and 8 yo. They could have a bit of freedom and we didn't have to worry, we could see them almost everywhere in the pools. Staff are lovely and friendly as all mentioned previously. The activities staff have endless energy and clearly love their work. Everyone at the resort was working very hard! Great cleaning staff. The pool was always immaculate except our last day on Sunday.
We didn't use the kids clu[... read more]b at all- wish they had at least one night a week with later activities so we could have eaten dinner as couple. Nightly entertainment was good, kids especially liked it- would prefer if it started at 830 vs 9 as many people missed out as too tired from the day. We never made it to the dance nights Fri and Sat at 11 but would have been nice to had it started around 10. Not sure how hopping it would be as many families but some older couples and a few younger couples arrived the weekend we were leaving so who knows. I would recommend this resort for families not couples.
Our first room was near the laundry and the hum of the machines affected my sleep but the front desk was very accomodating when I enquired about a switch. Tip- do not stay in second floor rooms with smaller numbers as they are on the way to the front desk so you get a lot more hallway noise, we moved to the 3rd floor after 2 nights and much quieter. Rooms facing the Rui are better ventilated/dryer (even numbered) than those facing the pool as they get more sun. You do have to listen to the Rui's bingo games if you are in the room mid day but at night our AC drowned out their activities which ended at 11pm. Beds were comfotable.
Food was good, not great, don't miss the Mexican night, it was the best. We got to eat at both a la carts as they rotate locations (beach side vs inside-kids are not allowed at inside a la carte) Many people didn't understand that kids could go to the Italian restaurant when it was outside. Dessert at Italian was some much needed chocolate, yum! Beach side restaurant gets slammed at lunch (opens 1230) while inside buffet is almost empty (opens at 1)- they need to staff beachside restaurant better at lunch or open it at noon to ease congestion. People with children are up early and so hungry well before 1230. Please consider stocking guacamole instead of having to ask for it at beachside restaurant at lunch and herefore needing to wait often for it to be made. Guacamole in Mexico is a must!! Kudos to beachside chef manning the grill who was always pleasant even when under pressure. Sorry I can't remember his name!
Best stretch of beach in the area but generally the beach along here is quite nice. Loved the oceanside beach huts for shade. watch for stingrays someone got stung day 1- shuffle!
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Hotrod -
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Sunscape Sabor Cozumel: Awesome experience
Had a blast at this resort second time around had some troubles with the room but they were quick to take care of the problems and discounted at checkout for our troubles food was great and staff were very friendly . Izzy was the best and funniest bartender ever all and all would love to go back a 3rd time some day
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Allegro Cozumel: Value for money
Clean rooms, grounds and amazing staff! All staff are so friendly and eager to help from Sergio at the front desk to Monica who greets you at the buffets and to Jorge who brings you your water, coffee and yummy alcoholic beverages ! Stunning beach with the most amazing sunsets oh and you get service on the beach for your drinks ! Loved it, recommend it and would go back !
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Private -
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Royalton Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa: Another incredible stay!
Our family just returned from our 4th Royalton stay and we can’t praise this resort experience enough! The resort is so clean, the food is incredible and the staff is out of this world. There is so much to do and even if you want a quiet afternoon away from it all, you can find that too! This resort is just a quick car ride from the airport and you’re truly on vacation as soon as you arrive! Something about the lobby that just melts all the travel / life stresses away.
A very special ment[... read more]ion to Francisco & Jhovani who are servers in the buffet restaurant. Not only do they deliver wonderful service every time we visit, they’ve become one of the reasons why we continue to come back to the Royalton each time we can sneak away for a family vacation. They even remember our son’s name between visits and make him feel so special when they welcome him by name. Thank you for going out of your way to make our experience such a great one, guys! You truly are the very best at what you do!
Another big thank you to Evaristo in the Diamond Club! Thank you for stopping by to say hello and welcome us back!
Your staff continues to make each stay memorable! Until the next time! We can’t wait!
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CindyWo -
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Casa Velas: Beautiful Resort
This was our 3rd visit to Casa Velas and definitely won't be our last. This place is absolutely stunning. The grounds are well manicured with lots of pretty flowers & ponds. The smell in the lobby is heavenly. We have stayed in 3 different room categories & they have all been beautiful. The food is out of this world. We cannot say enough about the staff. They are always smiling & so friendly. You feel like your part of their family. This is not a party resort so if your looking for peace & relax[... read more]ation then this is the place for you.
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Elbow1982 -
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Akumal Bay Beach and Spa Resort: Wonderful Experience
The resort was beautiful and the beach was amazing!
We have never experienced better service at any resort anywhere. All the staff were very friendly and super attentive. Service on the beach was A+. Grounds were extremely clean. The live entertainment each night was great, the bands had everyone up dancing.
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Speed -
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Grand Decameron Los Cabos: Really nice resort. Both my wife and I really enjoyed the size of the resort being quite small.
The resort was extremely clean, the food was great and the weather even better. The entertainment was surprisingly good. The only negative thing that I could say is we got a little board by weeks end but we should have done an excursion.
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Will79 -
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Sandos Caracol Nature Resort and Water Park: Great Resort!!!
The resort itself was absolutely beautiful!! Food was excellent. Rooms are getting a bit dated but all in all an amazing time for both families and couples getting away. I'd suggest if your a couple going to this resort upgrading to the adults only select club, as the main pool was packed with kids. Upgrading allowed your own private adults only section on the beach as well your own pool.
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Melo -
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Hotel Dos Playas Faranda: Tranquil Resort
The location is great close to everything and room was clean always had night performances and had awesome food buffet. The staffs were very friendly and attentive. My husband and I had an awesome stay here.
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Salma Hayek -
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Park Royal Ixtapa: good times
relaxing....great staff, happiest maid service (always smiling!), wonderful groundskeeper as he went out of his way to show us the lizards and other local wildlife on the resort grounds...excellent service, fabulous margaritas!!!! ....
however, did not appreciate the time share people harassing us
every day, every morning constantly, to the point we had to be rude after informing them we were not interested!!!! It didn't help that they were located right at the elevator. No way to avoid [... read more]them. we were pretty well cornered. One of the lady time share people was extremely PUSHY! Even tried booking our group a tour and wanted to charge us an additional one hundred dollars each.
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Private -
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Bahia Principe Escape Sian Ka'an: Wonderful Vacation!
This was our first time to an adult-only resort and we loved it! We enjoyed the quieter less chaotic buffet restaurant (although service was inconsistent) as well as the lobby bar and lounge areas. The pools were also much quieter with the majority of people resting and reading.
If we wanted more activity and energy, we hopped on the shuttle and visited the other three sister resorts to check out their evening entertainment. We really enjoyed having access to four different resorts. The shut[... read more]tles came frequently and were usually no more than a 5 min wait. We skipped the Sian Ka'an private beach section and instead, took a second shuttle from the Akumal lobby to the infinity pool and adult only section at the far end of the beach. Excellent outdoor restaurant and bar service there as well. Nice lagoon to wade in or do a bit of basic snorkeling. Infinity pool was too cold but we prefer the beach and ocean anyways.
Next time, we may not stay at Sian Ka'an and instead stay at in the adult-only building on the Akumal side and go over and enjoy the buffet at Sian Ka'an. The rooms featured on the hotel website look newer and nicer ie. double sinks. We weren't that impressed with the room decor for a 4.5-5 star hotel ie. tired looking couch, small bathroom and dreary colours.
We had a penthouse suite and enjoyed the upper deck and tub although it's too hot to use it during the day. It also provided more privacy than the lower terraces.
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Blue Bay Grand Esmeralda: Not bad
This resort had great food. The room was nice but a few things where broken ( bathroom sink didn't drain, balcony door handle fell off, lights in the hallway broken). The staff where impeccable and pleasant. The resort was very clean and the pools where wonderful. Remember to get all your shots, and bring Imodium and pepto- you probably won't get sick at the resort but if you do tours you may be exposed to contaminated food or water- including water you swim in.
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Trudy -
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Iberostar Waves Paraiso Beach: We had a amazing trip
As our second time @ Iberostar Paraiso beach, the weather was great, sunny most of the time with a few clouds. The food is very good, a lot of choices. The bedroom very clean, comfortable bed and good service. The staff very friendly, always very helpful. Only comment, if you do not wish to buy a membership do not accept a free breakfast to next door resort, waste of time. But you could get a free massage.
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Vacationgirl -
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Iberostar Selection Paraiso Maya Suites: Great Vacation
****The good
Grounds impeccable & clean
Food was great
Entertainment team was amazing
All service was top notch
****The bad
Rooms are dark & view of the forest
Pools are too cold
Cannot get chairs at pool or beach
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Sairstarlet -
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Grand Oasis Palm: Great family resort
Resort was nice, food pretty good, beach beautiful. Service was lacking- weird because we usually receive great service in Mexico. Tons of activities for the kids. Not much to do if you are looking to party but luckily we weren't.
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Sylvie747 -
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NYX Hotel Cancun: Nice coût resort
No elevators on the side that i was Only drawback loves the food staff very friendly fast service efficient Happy to be there all in all excellent week clean room good intertainment every night nothing more to add good value for the price
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Private -
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Riu Emerald Bay: Great place to stay!!!!!!!
We love this hotel - our third time staying here. Everything is so clean and meticulous. Staff friendly and attentive and very caring. Great selection in the Buffet with different specialty nights. The pool, grounds and beach are beautiful. We highly recommend this hotel as a great getaway!!!!!
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Private -
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Unico 20 87 Hotel Riviera Maya: Great with lots of potential!
We stayed @ this resort from Mar 5 -12 2017.We have been to the Mayan Rivera on 8 previous occasions and have stayed at Secrets Maroma, Fairmont Mayakoba and Iberostar Grand Paraiso. Knowing that this was a brand new resort we booked with the knowledge that some things might not be comparable to the other resorts.
First off, we cannot say enough good things about the staff and the treatment we received from them. We found all of the staff to be friendly, attentive and professional. Out of all[... read more] the resorts we have stayed at the Unico staff are at the top of the list. Special thanks to Alberto our butler who took care of all of our needs/requests and then some. Alberto was always checking with us on a regular basis to see if we needed anything and followed through on everything. On two occasions he surprised us with bubbles in the hot tub which we welcomed after spending all day at the beach.Thanks to Isabel at the Bar Balam for her great service and to the lady (didn't catch her name) who cooked our eggs at the buffet.
We spent most of our time at the beach and found the service to be acceptable. The day we arrived it was pouring rain so we didn't go to the beach until the following day. We were disappointed with the size of the beach and the amount of seaweed that had collected. We returned the next day and to our surprise the staff had done an amazing job of raking up all the seaweed which improved the beach considerably. The beach has great potential and when it is finally cleared of bush and the palapas (umbrellas were a pain) have been added it will be fantastic.
We stayed in building 5 on the third floor. We liked the location as it is close to the beach. The view was good but the fourth/fifth floors would provide a better view. We were glad that we did not choose a swim out room as there is very little privacy. We found the beds to be comfortable and the room cool to our liking. We don't watch much TV but when we did the signal was constantly being lost. Rooms were cleaned daily and any extras (hangers, soap,towels etc.) requested were provided with a quick response. Room was quiet for the most part but could hear furniture being moved above us on occasion.
We liked the grounds and when the vegetation/palm trees grows in it will look great. Lighting at night was good but not intrusive. Didn't spend a lot of time at the pool but when we did the service was good. Everything is new so no problems with the loungers or cushions.
On one occasion we had to look for towels and water but did find them at another location near the pool. As said in a previous post the music at the pool was far to loud and intrusive and the choice of music could have been better. Personally we were there to relax and would have preferred to listen to something else other then techno!. If you want quiet go to the beach.
So far as the food was concerned we found the buffet to be similar to other resorts except this one always had fresh fruit and produce. Service was good and friendly. We found that the quality of the food improved every day. Towards the end of our week lunch at the buffet was better than dinner at the a la carte. On some occasions the food was luke warm or cold.
We never made reservations at the a la carte and had no problem getting in when we wanted.This might have been due to the recent opening and not as many people being at the resort. Food was good but not great and on some occasions the main dish was hot but the sides were cold. We ordered cappuccino at the Italian restaurant and it was cold. Steak was okay but not great.
Special thank you to our waiter Jose @ Cueva Siete for insuring that my food allergies were brought to the chef's attention.
Tried the spa and we had good massages. It was part of the promotion at 20% of the posted price so it cost us $36.00 US each for a one hour relaxing massage. We were not impressed with the hydrotherapy. The spray was so intense it actually hurt. Never had hydrotherapy before and there was no information or explanation provided by the staff to tell me the procedure or what to expect. Basically he just pointed to what room I was to go into next. Also no liquid soap in the showers or hot water.
Had drinks at the bar lounge after dinner. Music appeared to be techno pop and way to loud for a lounge especially when it's near the front desk. Would have turned me off had it been playing when we arrived for check in. Other resorts we have stayed at have a dedicated disco or bar for the party crowd but the lounges are usually more mellow.
All in all we think that this resort has great potential and in a couple of years, when everything is finished, the beach is cleaned up, the staff is more experienced and food in more consistent it will be a great resort. In the future we would like to return but feel apprehensive the prices will be inflated. Right now we think that it is overpriced given that it is lacking in several areas.